Carnegie's seminal work named the dog as "the greatest winner of friends the world has ever known".

The self-help guru then went on to say:

"Did you ever stop to think that a dog is the only animal that doesn't have to work for a living? A hen has to lay eggs, a cow has to give milk, and a canary has to sing. But a dog makes his living by giving you nothing but love.”

If one of the most illustrious self-help minds of the past century can spot the value of thinking and behaving in line with man's best friend, Ryan O'Meara has taken the concept on to the next level in this book which reveals the hidden secrets behind…

• The dog's unique approach to conflict resolution. (learn to settle disputes favourably and without shedding blood).
• The dog's incredible (world famous) abilities to endear themselves to people and other animals, with a mere wag of a tail. (how to win REAL friends for life).
• How to the dog deploys unique mental techniques to cope with stress, illness and high pressure situations (how to be happier and healthier with positive mental attitude)
• Identifying and understand pack dynamic and prosper (how to get ahead in life, career and become prosperous without hurting people)
• How to survive when the odds are against it. (how to tough out the harshest of times and come out smiling)

Clever Dog examines the pivotal role dogs have played in the evolution of society, countries and culture. Did you know: had it not been for a dog, we may never have even heard about Alexander The Great?

The book is a fresh and innovative study of how man's best friend earned his name and, more importantly, how we can copy him to improve our mood, financial success, survival skills and ability to make more friends than we'd even know what to do with. In short, if you want to learn the secret to why the dog is the most loved animal on the planet, read this book.

Find out more / order the book Clever Dog: Life Lessons from Man's Best Friend by Ryan O'Meara – CLICK HERE. ]]> http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6580/think-like-a-dog-win-at-life-says-new-book/feed/ 0 http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6550/lifelong-pet-insurance-cover-is-it-worth-it/ http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/6550/lifelong-pet-insurance-cover-is-it-worth-it/#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:50:07 +0000 Ryan O'Meara http://www.dogmagazine.net/?p=6550
Continue Reading »]]> A recent question from a K9 Magazine reader, we were asked – what does lifetime pet insurance mean?

A good query. So good in fact, we decided to write up a short article explaining the benefits, costs and advantages of understanding the various aspects of a pet insurance policy, with specific emphasis on lifelong pet insurance cover.

K9 Magazine’s article explains:

The costs of veterinary treatment are rising all the time as the science of veterinary medicine advances and it is common for courses of treatment to run into thousands of pounds.  When dogs get older, the chances that they will actually require treatment (and therefore need to claim on the pet insurance policy increases).

Read the article in full: Lifetime pet insurance cover.

PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury, comments: “Losing a pet in any situation is heart breaking. It’s even worse when the loss is the result of a disease which could have been prevented through vaccination.

“Many of these preventable diseases can be very harmful to our pets. For example, over 80 per cent of puppies infected with the distemper virus will die. Some of these diseases can also affect us. Leptospirosis can cause serious diseases in people affecting the liver and kidneys, which again can be fatal.”

In cats, feline leukaemia (FeLV) is now the most common infectious cause of premature death in cats in the UK. It has been estimated that 8 out of 10 cats infected with FeLV will die within three years.

Rabbits don’t fare much better, either. One preventable disease, viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) is a very contagious and almost always fatal viral disease. The virus is very resistant and can remain active for almost four months.  In the acute form, the rabbit usually dies within a day or two after showing the first signs of the disease.

Elaine continues: “The development of many of these diseases is often horrific, and it is distressing for vets, nurses and owners alike to see a pet die when the problem could have been prevented with a simple vaccination.”

Whilst the PDSA are fully behind the call for dog owners to vaccinate, there are some dissenting voices who believe vaccinations are either unnecessary or even harmful.

Catherine O’Driscoll is founder of Canine Health Concern, and author of the book, ‘What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines’.

She says:

“In January 2004, 31 vets went to the extreme lengths of signing a letter, published in Veterinary Times (UK), stating that annual vaccination ‘constitutes fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by silence and theft by deception’.  I called annual vaccination fraud ten years ago, fully aware that, if proven wrong in a court of law, I could be sued.  I wasn’t.

The truth is that we are vaccinating too much.

In 2000, the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents (COBTA) presented their consensus, stating:

When an annual booster vaccination  with a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine (i.e. Distemper , Parvovirus  or Fe Distemper) is given to a previously vaccinated adult  animal – no added protection is provided.  Modified live virus vaccines depend on the replication of the virus for a response. Antibodies from previous vaccines do not allow the new virus to replicate. Antibody titres are not boosted significantly, memory cell populations are not expanded. No additional protection is provided.

There is no scientific data to support label directions for re-administration of MLV vaccines annually.

Vaccines are not harmless. Unnecessary side effects and adverse events can be minimised by avoiding unnecessary vaccinations.

In short: annual vaccination is a waste of time.  Once immune, no added protection is provided by repetition.  Crucially, “vaccines are not harmless”.

COBTA announced that we should vaccinate every three years instead.  But you don’t need to vaccinate your animals every three years, either – because immunity lasts for years or life (RD Schultz, et al).  And every shot comes with risks.

In 1983, Frick and Brooks demonstrated that vaccines trigger conjunctivitis and dermatitis in dogs.

Canine Health Concern’s (CHC’s) vaccine survey, involving over 4,000 dogs, found that 56.9% of all dogs in the survey with conjunctivitis first developed it within three months of a vaccine shot, and 61.2% of dogs with dermatitis first manifested symptoms within this crucial timeframe.  Our premise is that if the vaccine has no bearing on subsequent illness, then only 25% of all illnesses should begin within each three-month period of the year. Most conditions began within a week of the shot.

We also found that 2.7% of all dogs surveyed had colitis, with 56.9% of cases occurring within three months post-vaccination.

The vaccinated group developed significant levels of autoantibodies of fibronectin, laminim, DNA, albumin, Cytochrome C, transferring, cardiolipin, and collagen.  When vaccinated, dogs begin to attack their own biochemistry: they become allergic to themselves.  One finding in the CHC survey, for example, was that 53.7% of dogs with kidney damage first developed the condition within three months of a shot.  In the Purdue study, one of the biochemicals being attacked post vaccination is laminin – and laminin coats kidney cells.

Similarly, autoantibodies to collagen might explain the locomotor conditions recorded against cats and dogs in a veterinary practice record survey conducted by the vet Ilse Pedler.  Vaccine components have also been found in the bones of arthritic patients, and other studies show that vaccines cause arthritis.

We need also to be alarmed that the Purdue study showed that vaccinated dogs develop autoantibodies to their own DNA, indicating that vaccines cause genetic damage.

A high number of behavioural problems were found to arise post-vaccination in the CHC survey: 73.1% of dogs with  short attention spans first developed them within three months;  72.5% developed nervous/worrying dispositions; and 64.9% began to display behavioural problems.

Encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, is an  accepted sequel to vaccination.  The Merck Manual states, “In acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (post infectious encephalitis), demyelination can occur spontaneously, but usually follows a viral infection or inoculation (or very rarely, a bacterial vaccine), suggesting an immunologic cause.”  This points to a connection between vaccine-induced brain inflammation and behavioural problems in both humans and animals.

In America, vets are vaccinating cats in the tail or leg so that they can amputate when cancer appears.  81.1% of dogs reported to have a tumour or growth at vaccine site in the CHC survey first developed it within the three-month post-vaccine period.

These are but some of the studies linking vaccines to life-changing or life-threatening illnesses.  Dr Jean Dodds, an American vet and researcher, has also written a number of scientific papers to correlate MLV vaccines and a rise in immune- and blood-mediated diseases such as cancer, leukaemia, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, thyroid disease, and Addisons.”[/pre_ad]

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With the high costs of vet bills and a need to cherish one’s loved pet, pet insurance is a necessity for many pet owners. Pets can fall ill or become injured at any time and require immediate care and attention. Protecting against the unexpected provides a valued peace of mind for pet owners.

Pet insurance undoubtedly provides cover against the unexpected but also it seems, against the VERY unexpected! Due to the unpredictable nature of animals, sometimes the unimaginable can arise and the trusty pet insurance policy is called upon to save the day.

Here are some examples of some of the strangest recent pet insurance claims to date:

1. Emergency surgery was undergone for a German Shepherd that had the bright idea of ingesting a whole container of gorilla glue. The glue subsequently became a large solid mass inside the dog’s stomach requiring urgent attention. This lucky dog made a full recovery after the operation.

2. A Labrador owner was busy baking while their Retriever was busy eating a wooden spoon that had fallen into the dog’s reach. It was not until an X-ray at the veterinary surgery that the owner discovered what their daft animal had done. By this time, the spoon had split into a collection of smaller pieces and each individual piece needed removing by surgery.

3. A cat ate five fingers made of rubber on a young girl’s Halloween costume that had been left lying on the floor. The rubber fingers made their way to the cat’s stomach where they later had to be surgically removed.

4. An unfortunate dog, through no fault of its own, contracted a virus and developed a rare disease known as Ehrilichiosis. The dog battled through a lengthy treatment program that accrued vet bills in excess of £10,000. This customer was certainly glad to have carried out a pet insurance comparison to find a suitably comprehensive cover.

5. A bulldog had been left at home for an extended period of time and became restless. Something possessed it to (yes really) eat an entire chair made of wood. Alarm bells started ringing when the owner returned home and discovered their chair missing and only a few fragments remaining on the floor. Unsurprisingly they also noticed the dog was in rather a lot of pain. The dog was rushed to the vets for emergency treatment.

6. An owner was playing with his dog by throwing a ball for the dog to retrieve. Rather irresponsibly perhaps of the owner, they were playing dangerously close to a cliff top. The owner accidentally threw a ball over the top of the cliff and the obedient dog jumped right after it. This story did not end well and it is a sad case of when an insurance company pays out upon the unexpected death of a pet.

7. A Labrador Retriever loved chewing on socks but took it too far one day and ate one. The sock made her sick and she vomited the sock back up. However, she later ate it again and had to undergo emergency surgery following an intestinal blockage.

8. A dog, obviously not realising the dangers of taking a drug overdose, consumed an entire packet of ibuprofen. The dog had to be carefully monitored at the vets and placed on a drip for several days before it fully recovered.

9. A dog of the Vallhund breed, notorious for having an aggressive nature (in fact it was once used as a fighting dog by the Vikings), managed to end up hospitalised after being bitten by a rat on the lip.

10. A Labrador Retriever (what is it with these breeds?) ate a sharp pronged fishing hook from a bucket of bait. The rather poorly animal had to be given tranquillisers before the hook was able to be removed.

So it can be seen that animals, usually dogs, are a liability unto themselves and the very un-expected, although quite rare, can happen.

Pet insurance comparison websites provide customers with information on a range of pet insurance products. Different insurers and policies provide different advantages and benefits. For pet owners looking for key things to consider when taking out pet insurance, it might be worth them thinking about how daft their pet is when they execute their pet insurance comparison search! Indeed, owning a Labrador Retriever might well require a different sort of pet insurance comparison to a breed with perhaps a little more common sense!

One thing that may influence the customer’s decision on which pet insurance comparison result to choose, is whether the insurer will allow the vet to bill them directly. Insurance companies that pay vet bills outright (excluding any excess), avoid a very expensive initial outlay on the customer’s part.

The right stimulation

Cats are born hunters, but sometimes for their own safety they need to be kept indoors. Keep yours entertained by giving it toys to chase – a tin-foil ball will do – and providing a climbing tower or cardboard box with holes cut out for it to climb in and out of. Also try hiding part of your cat’s daily dry food allowance in different places for it to track down. And make sure you provide a scratching post to keep its claws healthy – a coir doormat securely fixed in an upright position is perfect. For more tips on feline behaviour, check out the cat care leaflets on the Cats Protection website, cats.org.uk.

If you have to leave your dog for extended periods, Dogs Trust recommends providing it with a selection of challenging chews and toys. Interactive toys that can be filled with part of your dog’s daily food ration, which it has to work hard to reach, are particularly good for encouraging your dog’s natural scavenging and problem-solving instincts. Also try giving it toys it can roll around the floor, or create a scent-trail game by hiding dry treats for it to sniff out. For more ways to keep your dog occupied, download the ‘Beating Boredom’ leaflet at dogstrust.org.uk.

Finally, make sure your pets have hygienic toileting facilities and check to remove hazards that won’t leave you making a claim on your pet insurance. The advice from Cats Protection is that anything you would keep out of the reach of children should be kept away from pets too.

Dealing with separation

‘Cats are not pack animals, so separation anxiety is not normally such an issue as it is with dogs,’ says Companion Animal Behaviour Counsellor Pippa Hutchison, of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors.

With dogs, the key to avoiding problems is to prepare them gradually. ‘Over a period of time, get them used to being on their own – in the next room to you, for example,’ she says. Play down the transition with fuss-free goodbyes and returns, and consider leaving your dog with a familiar-smelling old T-shirt and the radio or TV on in the background for comfort.

Before you leave, make sure your dog has had a good run around and a small meal, so it will feel ready to settle down.

If your cat or dog is having problems adjusting to being on its own, it may need professional help. Try the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (apbc.org.uk) – although it’s best to consult your vet first: ‘We insist on owners seeing their vet first, to rule out any clinical illnesses,’ says Pippa.

For more about behavioural problems and beating boredom, visit cats.org.uk and dogstrust.org.uk.

Away from home

‘Do an overnight trial several weeks before you actually go away,’ says Pippa Hutchison, ‘so their first experience won’t be too long or stressful.’ She also recommends that you take an old, unwashed T-shirt that smells familiar to them.

Make sure the cattery/kennel has a list of your pet’s particular likes and dislikes. Take along their regular food, so there isn’t a change in diet.

Look out for the warning signs

Dogs
• Destructive behaviour, such as excessive chewing.
• Doesn’t eat when you’re away.
• Signs that it has been drooling a lot.
• Complaints from the neighbours that it has been howling.

Cats
• Toileting outside the litter tray.
• Signs of self-mutilation, such as over-grooming, which can lead to bald patches.
• Becoming more withdrawn.

(Originally published on Money Matters Thu, 15 Jul 2010)

Most dogs do not like fireworks. Fact. Even dogs who are trained to endure loud noises (such as gun dogs) tend to get jumpy and anxious in and around the run up to bonfire night.

Every year dogs along with many other animals experience fear and confusion, sometimes alone when their owners are away enjoying an organised bonfire.

It is not unusual for dogs to run away or escape from the home when frightened by fireworks so one of the most important things a dog owner can do in preparation for the fireworks is to check, double check and treble check the security of the garden or yard. Don’t assess it on whether a person could possibly escape, think more about whether a very stressed, motivated, physically impressive canine could make a break. Dogs go missing around fireworks night, make sure yours isn’t one of them.

Our simple 6 point guide should help to ensure your pets can get through the firework season safe and sound.

* It is a good idea to bring any outdoor pets inside for the duration of firework period. If this is not possible, covering kennels up with a blanket at night will give a dog a little protection from the bright flashes and loud bangs. Outside dogs are often used to thunder but fireworks can cause a very different reaction. Always remember how acute a dog’s sense of hearing is. A loud bang to us can feel like volcano erupting to a dog.

* It may be hard, but try and stay with your dog during the majority of the firework season. A dog can often react very differently to a bang when you are not there. If it is possible, see if you can view your dog via a hidden vantage point just to gauge his or her reaction to the bangs. Even though you may elect to stay with the dog, try very hard not to react to the sounds of fireworks yourself. Do your best to ignore the bangs and crashes, showing your dog that there is no imminent danger despite the loud noises and bright flashes.

* Always make sure your dog has his or her own special area where they can go to feel safe. Be it an indoor kennel or a place under the stairs, dogs love to have a den at their disposal.

* It sounds obvious, but try to keep the windows and curtains closed as often as possible during firework season as this will lessen the effect of the noise and bright flashes.

* Normal household noises such as the TV, vacuuming or music can help to distract from the loud noises coming from outside. Aside from deciding to host a disco or having a few days of constant vacuuming around the home to distract your pet from the sound, investigate something such as a natural supplement like Forest Farmacy’s Soothing Animal Solution which could be the best way to combat any anxiety your pet has towards loud noises.

* Last but certainly not least, always ensure your pet has some sort of identification on him or her. It is a sad fact but many dogs do run away from home during firework season, even dogs that has previously shown no fear of fireworks can occasionally take flight at the loud noises and flashes in the sky. Be prepared, your dog has no comprehension why the sudden noises and bright lights and as an animal with ultra sensitive senses, it’s important to be prepared for any sudden displays of anxiety or fear.

You can download K9 Magazine’s TOTALLY FREE ‘Fireworks and Your Dog’ eBook (which also includes bonus sections on how to treat general anxiety and noise phobia) by visiting www.k9magazine.com/fireworks

Highly Recommended >> We are happy to recommend Forest Farmacy and Soothing Animal Solution, an organic instant calming solution for anxious pets to help with your dog’s firework noise phobia.

Pet insurance is designed to provide pet owners with peace of mind and financial security so that in the event of an accident or illness their pet can receive the best possible treatment available without having to consider the cost of veterinary bills.

Louise Watson agrees, knowing all too well about the importance of pet insurance. Her boxer Zeus was diagnosed with epilepsy and after extensive tests, which included an MMR scan and a spinal tap, the vet also found he had a heart murmur.

All of Zeus’s scans and tests to diagnosis him and the daily medication he now takes to control his conditions has cost over £4,000 so far. However, thankfully for Louise she took out a Petplan Covered For Life policy shortly after buying Zeus, which has meant that all these costs have been covered by Petplan.

“I’m so grateful to have decided to takeout a Petplan Covered for Life policy – it means we can cover the continual treatment for Zeus’s epilepsy and heart murmur for the rest of his life. I always recommend Petplan to my friends as I wouldn’t know what I would have done without their support.”

With an increasing number of pet insurance policies available, it can be confusing for pet owners to decide the best policy. However, a Petplan Covered for Life plan is the most comprehensive policy on the market. It renews the amount of vet fees cover at the start of each year, which enables policy holders to claim the full vet fee benefit, year after year, as long as the policy is renewed annually. It also pays for ongoing conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, skin conditions and epilepsy.

The vet fees benefit is the most claimed upon area of pet insurance policies; however Covered for Life also offers cover for complementary treatment, boarding fees and advertising and reward if the policy holder’s pet is lost or stolen. Furthermore Covered for Life includes third party liability cover for dogs starting from £1 million.

To find out more information about a Petplan policy visit Petplan.co.uk

Firstly, there’s the price of the pet itself. True, if you’re just getting a goldfish or a hamster, your initial outlay won’t be more than a few pounds, but if you’re looking for something a bit bigger then you may have to prepare your wallet. Dogs and cats can cost anything from £50 up to several thousand if you want a pedigree breed, and if you’re thinking about getting a pony then you’re looking at a four-figure sum for even the cheapest of animals. If you want to get an animal cheaply – and in a socially responsible way – check out your local animal shelter, which will have a number of animals looking for a loving home.

Next up is their environment, and this is where expenses can really mount up. Smaller creatures, such as gerbils or guinea pigs, will need a cage plus all the bits of equipment that go in it. These can cost upwards of £50, although if you hunt around the internet and on eBay, you should be able to get one for less. If keeping fish or reptiles is going to be your thing, then a tank with a filter system and lighting starts at around £80, and can pretty much go up to any amount depending on the size you want. Pets that have the run of your home such as cats and dogs will still need a basket they can call their own, as well as some toys.

Food costs again depend on the pet. Fish are probably the cheapest creatures to feed, costing a pound or so a week, and rodents don’t cost much more. But if you’ve set your sights on a cat, you should put aside at least £5 a week. Dogs will cost around twice that, and more if you choose a bigger breed. While snakes and reptiles don’t eat much, some will require specialist feed, so make sure you have a local pet shop that can supply you.

Then there’s healthcare. Many animals will need vaccinations and ongoing medical treatment, and this can be expensive. For healthy cats and dogs, put aside at least £100 a year for annual injections and treatment. If your cat or dog becomes ill, or has an accident, their medical costs can run into thousands, so it’s well worth considering a pet insurance policy, which will cover many treatments.

And don’t forget that your pets will need to be looked after even when you’re not around. So you’ll need someone to look after them when you’re on holiday, or during the day. Hopefully a friendly neighbour will be able to help, but if not, kennels or cat sitting services can cost £10-15 a day per animal, depending on where you live.

Issued by Sainsbury’s Finance

As some dog owners will know only too well no matter how wet or cold it may be outside donning even a coat is just a step too far for some mutts let alone a wig and sunglasses. But step aside Gok Wan because with the Plerion website you can become your dog’s personal stylist without having to instigate a battle of wills.

Simply visit www.plerion.co.uk and click on ‘Primp Your Pooch’ where you can upload a picture of your dog and start primping! The lucky owner of the pooch with the most online votes will win spa vouchers to the value of £1000 – voting closes on 31st July 2010.